The invention relates to a sleeve for guiding-through at least one line, as well as to a method for guiding-through the line. In particular, the invention relates to a sleeve for guiding at least one line through a component, the sleeve having a hose-type center section and at least one end-side head section, which is insertable into a mounting opening of the component.
A sleeve of the above-mentioned type for guiding-though lines, for example, in a motor vehicle, is known from German patent document DE 33 40 664 A1. The known sleeve has a hose-type center section with two end-side head sections. Reinforcing parts in the form of stiffening rings are inserted into the head sections. The stiffening rings consist of a plastic material that is firmer than the sleeve itself. As a result of the stiffening rings, a reliable fit of the head sections is achieved in the corresponding assembly openings of the body of the motor vehicle.
It is an object of the present invention to further develop the known sleeve; in particular to make a facilitated mounting possible.
This and other objects are achieved by a sleeve for guiding at least one line through a component, the sleeve having a hose-type center section and at least one end-side head section, which is insertable into a mounting opening of the component. A reinforcing part in the head section is designed such that it is placeable on the line in the radial direction. A method is provided for the facilitated mounting of the sleeve. The method for guiding a line with a pushed-on sleeve through a mounting opening of a component, the sleeve having a hose-type center section and at least one end-side head section, which can be inserted into the mounting opening, includes the acts of: a) guiding the line with the pushed-on sleeve through the mounting opening, b) inserting of the head section into the mounting opening, c) placing a reinforcing part on the line with a movement direction radial to the line, and d) inserting the reinforcing part into the head section by displacing the reinforcing part in the axial direction of the line.
It is an aspect of the invention to construct the reinforcing part as a component separate from the head section and to design it such that it can be subsequently placed in the radial direction onto a line without having to be “threaded onto” the line together with the sleeve. The reinforcing part is, for example, constructed in one piece in the shape of an open ring, the opening being dimensioned to be so large that the cross-section of the line can pass through the clear width of the opening. Naturally, the reinforcing part can be elastically deformed to a limited extent during the mounting onto the line, so that the clear width of the opening is temporarily enlarged. As an alternative, the reinforcing part may consist of two sections which can be inserted into the head section independently of one another.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing part is constructed in a closed ring shape for achieving a stiffness that is as high as possible, and is divided into at least two ring sections which permit an opening of the ring. A radial mounting of the reinforcing part onto the line is thereby made possible, so that a threading of the line through the reinforcing part will not be necessary.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing part has two ring sections which are mutually inseparably connected by way of a first connection area. The first connection area permits an at least limited displacement of the two ring sections with respect to one another, preferably a swiveling of the ring sections about an axis in the first connection area. By way of a second connection area, the two ring sections can be separably connected with one another. It thereby becomes possible to displace the two ring sections from their closed ring-shaped position into an open mounting position. The opening permits the radial mounting of the reinforcing part onto the at least one line. Compared to a multi-piece reinforcing part, a simpler handling during the mounting process is achieved by the inseparable connection of the two ring sections.
The two ring sections are, for example, mutually connected by way of a film hinge.
According to a preferred further development of the invention, the second connection area is constructed as a clip connection. When the line is removed, for example, for repair purposes, the reinforcing part can therefore be separated from the sleeve and from the line in a simple manner.
In an embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing part is constructed with a lateral surface extending approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the line and with a flange extending approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the line. The lateral surface of the reinforcing part is received on its exterior side along a correspondingly constructed interior surface of the head section of the sleeve. The flange forms a stop for the reinforcing part.
According to a further development of the invention, mutually facing elements of a detent device are provided on the reinforcing part and on the head section for fixing the reinforcing part in the head section of the sleeve.
For ensuring a uniform alignment of the reinforcing part in a symmetrically designed head section, corresponding devices, for example, in the form of an elevation and a pertaining recess, are provided on the reinforcing part and the head section.
Corresponding to the shape of the mounting opening, the reinforcing part is, for example, circular, oblong, ellipsoid, oval or of another design.
The sleeve with a reinforcing part according to the invention can, for example, be used particularly advantageously when a sliding agent is used for facilitating the mounting of the head section of the sleeve in a mounting opening deviating from a circular shape. Since it will still take a certain time after the mounting until the friction-reducing effect of the sliding agent diminishes, there is the risk that, immediately after the mounting of the sleeve, the head section may twist in the mounting opening, which, because of the no longer congruent geometries of the head section and the mounting opening, may result in considerable leakiness. As a result of the insertion of the reinforcing part in the head section, the head section will be held in a torsion-proof manner in the mounting opening.
By use of the method of the invention, the mounting operation is clearly facilitated in the case of prefabricated lines in the case of which, within the scope of a preassembly, at least one sleeve has already been mounted in its final position on the line. In the case of such lines, the sleeve together with the line has to be pushed completely through a first mounting opening. For this purpose, the at least one head section of the sleeve has to have a sufficient deformability in order to be able to pass through the mounting opening at reasonable expenditures of force and without the risk of damage to the head section. It particularly has to be avoided that the material of the head section tears while being guided through the mounting opening.
According to the invention, the prefabricated line, including the sleeve already pushed onto the line, is guided through the first mounting opening. Since the at least one head section of the sleeve consists of a comparatively easily deformable elastic material, this operation can take place with a relatively low expenditure of force. The head section is subsequently inserted into the mounting opening. Finally, the reinforcing part is placed with its opening in the radial direction on the line and is pushed axially into the head section. As a result of the subsequent insertion of the reinforcing part into the head section, the head section of sleeve will be stiffened only after the conclusion of the laying of the line. A secure fixing of the head section and a perfect sealing effect are therefore achieved in the mounting opening.
A particularly advantageous use of the invention is achieved, for example, in the case of motor vehicles with a hatchback, wherein a line extends between the stationary vehicle body of the motor vehicle and the swivelable hatchback, the line being guided through a sleeve in this area. In this case, a first head section of the sleeve is inserted into a first mounting opening at the vehicle body, and a second head section of the sleeve is inserted into a second mounting opening at the hatchback. The first vehicle-body-side mounting opening is preferably situated at a water channel in the area of the opening of the vehicle body that can be closed by the hatchback. The line is a cable harness of the motor vehicle which is guided with a cable section through the two mounting openings to the hatchback. This cable section of the cable harness is, among other things, used for the electric linking of rear lights, of a rear window wiper, of a rear window antenna, etc. The cable section of the cable harness is guided together with a sleeve already mounted in the final position through the first mounting opening in the water channel. In the following, the line is laid through the second mounting opening into the hatchback. The sleeve has a center section for guiding the line between the vehicle body and the hatchback as well as two head sections for the insertion into the two mounting openings.
In order to particularly prevent the penetration of water into the interior of the motor vehicle by way of the first mounting opening in the water channel, after the threading of the line (together with the sleeve) through the first mounting opening and the insertion of the first head section of the sleeve into the mounting opening, at least the first head section, thus the vehicle-body-side head section, is equipped with a reinforcing part. When the motor vehicle is driving in rain, a considerable amount of water occurs in the water channel, so that the first head section of the sleeve has to meet increased tightness demands. Naturally, a reinforcing part can also be inserted into the second head section, thus, into the hatchback-side head section. However, as a rule, a complete sealing-off is not necessary in this area because the mounting opening leads into a so-called wet area in the interior of the hatchback, which wet area has discharge openings for seeped-in water.
“Lines” in the sense of the invention are all types of elongated formations, such as electric cables, media-carrying pipes (such as washing-water pipes), cable pull lines, etc. In particular, the “line” is a line interconnection with several individual lines, such as a cable harness or tree, as mentioned above in the form of an example. Naturally, electric and non-electric lines can also be combined into a line interconnection.
The invention basically relates to any type of sleeves, particularly sleeves on at least one moving component. The invention preferably relates to sleeves on a moving component of a motor vehicle, mainly sleeves on flaps and doors of motor vehicles. Since, for example, in the case of modern motor vehicles, a plurality of lines are combined in a line interconnection, such as particularly a cable harness, the guiding-through of a line interconnection is becoming increasingly difficult. The sleeve according to the invention with the subsequently mountable reinforcing part therefore has a particularly advantageous effect.
The sleeve basically protects the line from damage, for example, from an uncontrolled bending of the line in the case of moving components between which the line is laid. In addition, the sleeve causes a sealing-off at the locations at which the line passes through the mounting opening(s), so that the mounting opening(s) is or are protected from the entering of moisture, water and dirt.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.